Registering apparatus



Sept. 15, 1942. E. A. KEELER 2,295,795

REGISTERING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 23, 1938 15 FIG.I. IO 9 INVENTOR EARLA. KEELER ATTORN EY Patented Sept. 15, 1942 REGISTERING APPARATUS EarlA. Keeler, Norristown, Pa., assignor to The Brown Instrument Company,Philadelphia, l'a., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November23, 1938, Serial No. 241,996

13 Claims.

This invention relates to the detection of broken filaments in a thread.

The present invention is a continuation in part of my prior applicationSerial No. 118.095, filed December 29, 1936, now Patent 2,188,754,January 30, .1940, which discloses various arrangements for detectingdefective filaments in a thread together with means actuated thereby forindicating and/or recording the number of such imperfections.

The various arrangements disclosed in my prior application were devisedby me with the'general object in view of providing simple and efilcientmeans for detecting defective filaments in a single thread or in aplurality of threads together with means actuated thereby for indicatingthe presence and/or recording the number of such imperfections.

The apparatus claimed herein is an arrangement embodying my invention inwhich the moving thread is chargedto a suitable potential and thenpassed through a loop of the proper clearance topermit defectivefilaments to touch the loop and thereby impart a charge to the latter,

. material in the form of fuzzy ends. Heretofore in order to eliminatethese fuzzy ends provisions have been made for the inspection, byobservationof a portion of the thread during transfer of the thread fromspool to spool and rejection of any spools having an excessive number ofbroken filaments. This inspection operation is obviously expensive and,more important from the standpoint of producing quality material, isinadequate by virtue of the fact that only a small portion of the totaloutput can practicably be inspected.

Moreover, visual inspection of the thread during transfer of the threadfrom spool to spool the arrangement claimed herein, the manualinspection operation referred to may be dispensed with and defectivethread filaments may auto-.

matically be detected and indicated by readily distinguishable means.

As a means for such automatic detection, 1 employ suitable meansarranged in the path of the thread. as the latter is being transferredfrom spool to spool, for applying an electrical charge to the thread andthereafter collecting part of said charge from the fuzzy or brokenfilaments. The electrical charge so collected is employed to control asensitive electrical circuit andthereby the energization of suitableindicating means to be described. Thus, an indication of the presence ofbroken filaments of the thread, which are difficult of detection byvisual means alone, may be had.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a better under standing of theinvention, however, its advantages and specific objects attained withits use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing anddescriptive matter in which I have illus-,

trateol and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a more or less dlagrammatical view illustrating oneform of theinvention;

Fig. 2 illustrates a modification of the registering device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram illustrating a modification of thearrangement of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a modification of the device of Fig. 3. Referring to Fig. 1,provision is made, as illustrated, for arranging a detector .l in thepath of the moving thread for detecting the presence of broken filamentsin the thread. Normally in and detection of broken filaments isdifilcult as will be readily appreciated when it is understood thatrayon threads which themselves are extremely small in diameter are madeup from 40 practice, the detector may desirably be arranged in the pathof the thread as it is being unwound from a spindle on a spinningmachine and wound on a. bobbin immediately after the spinning operation.For clarity and definiteness of illust.ation, however, I have shown, ina more or less diagrammatic way, the thread 2 as being unwound from aspool I and reeled on a spool I, the latter being mounted for rotationon a shaft 5 driven through suitable gearing, not shown, by aunidirectional electrical motor 6 energized for rotation fromalternating current supply lines L and L. The spool 3 is mounted forrotation on a shaft 1 which may be disposed on suitable brackto 100-ormore of such filaments. By means of ets l in any convenient manner.Preferably both spools 3 and 4 are so mounted for rotation as tofacilitate quick removal and replacement by other spools.

The detector 1' includes an electrical conductor 9 arranged in the pathof the thread and having a;. loop Ill at its upper end through which thethread is passed, and'which is adapted to receive an electrical chargefrom the thread when broken filaments engage the said loop. The threadis guided into the loop ID by guide rods H and I2 having saddle portionsat their upper end for guiding the thread. The charge so imparted to theloop All! ansLhence to the conductor 9 is employed to control asensitive electrical circuit to thereby indicate and/or record theimperfections in the thread.

As illustrated, means are provided in the form of an electronic circuitl3 for imparting a charge to themoving thread ,2 immediately before itpasses through the loop L and for indicating when part of the charge isimparted to the loop by defective thread filaments. This electroniccircuit includes a rectifier circuit which is capable of delivering ahigh direct current potential, the positive side of which is connectedby a conductor electronic circuits l3, each of the latter having a H toa brush l5, the latter being in engagement,

withthe moving thread 2 and adaptedto impart 'a charge thereon. Therectifier isenergized from secondary windings l6 and. I! of atransformer l8, the primarywinding l8 of which is energized from thealternating current supply lines L and L2. Secondary windings 20 and 2|are also disposed 0n. the transformer I8 and are employed for supplyingcurrent for heating the filament and for supplying anode voltage to athree-electrode electronic tube 22, respectively. The tube 22 includesthe usual cathode 23, anode 24, and grid 25, the latter being connectedto the conductor 9. A relay winding 26 is connected in the plate circuitof the tube 22 and is adapted to operate an armature 21 to close acircuit through a neon tube 28 connected through a resistance 29 to thealternating current supply lines L and L.

In operation the tube 22 is normally non-conductive, but-when a positivecharge is imparted to the grid 25 as a result of engagement of adefective filament with the loop l0, the tube will become conductiveduring the half cycle when the anode 24 is positive. The resulting flowof pulsating current through the relay winding 26 will energize thelatter to thereby efiect the closure of the energizing circuit to theneon tube 28. Thus, the presence of the thread imperfection will beindicated by glowing of the tube 28.

If desired, a permanent record of the presence relay winding 26 disposedin the output circuits thereof and associated elements 30, 32, 33 and34. As will be readily understood, the number of threads which maypracticably be simultaneously inspected in this man iger is limited onlyby the width of the chart employed. Print hammers may conveniently bespaced at a small distance, say an eighth of an inch apart, and hencefifty or a hundred threads may simultaneously be inspected and a recordof imperfections thereof 1 had on a single record chart. For conveniencein scanning the chart and noting the number of imperfections in any ofthe threads inspected by such a multiple unit, provision has been madein the form of a guide 40 disposed parallel to the chart roll 31, inclose proximity therewith and slightly below the level of the printhammers. A sighting slide 4|, having a slot 42 running lengtl'iwise, isdisposed at right angles to the guide 40 and is adapted to cooperate atits upper end with the latter so as to be manually slidable along thechart, and the marks in any single line may be seen through the slot 42.Preferably, each print hammer is consecutively numbered in eitherdirection as desired, on the guide 40, and the slot 42 extended sothatthe number may be seen therethrough, or a separate opening may beprovided for this purpose, as desired. In this manner the marks denotingimperfections for any single: thread may be scanned individually, inthat the marks pertaining to other threads simultaneously inspected andin close proximity to those it is desired to scan are excluded from viewand thereby precludes any confusion which might of the threadimperfection may be had and in on the recorder chart each time that therelay winding 26 is energized. The lever 38 is normally biased forrotation in. a clockwise direction by spring means 35 into engagementwith. a stop 36 so that when the relay winding 26 is deenergized, theprint hammer 32 is held out of engagement with the recorder chart 33 andribbon 34. The recorder chart is adapted to be drivenby a continuouslyrotating roller 31, the latter being driven in any convenient manner, asfor example,

' loop l0, part of the charge on the thread will be otherwise result inscanning the chart.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated another embodiment of my invention in whichrepeated engagements of defective thread filarr'ients with the loop IIIare employed to charge a condenser 43 the latter being periodicallydischarged and the discharge current measured in any suitable manner. Inthis embodiment the thread 2 is shown asareceiving a charge from thepositive terminal of a battery 44 through a conductor 45 connected tothe brush l5, but it will be understood a rectifier arrangement asdisclosed in Fig. 1 may be employed inlieu of the battery, if desired.Omengagement of defective thread filaments with'the transferred to thecondenser 43, and as will become apparent, the magnitudegof the chargestored on the condenser will depend upon their number of suchengagements and hence, upon the number of imperfections in the thread.aPeriodically, the condenser 43 is discharged by'closure of a switch 46,which switch may be actuated by means of any suitable time actuatedmechanism. Preferably, I employ intermittently operating discharge meansproviding equal intervals of time between each discharge period, whichdischarge means as diagrammatically shown, includes a cam 41 driven by acontinuously rotating shaft by a unidirectional electrical motor 38through 7 48 for operating switch 46 alternately to its open and closedpositions. The discharge current may be measured in any convenientmanner, as for example, by a hot wire or other suitable currentmeasuring instrument 49. As will be apparent, the magnitude of thedischarge current will be a measure of the number of engagements ofthread defects with the loop Ill occurringin the interval that theswitch 46 is open. 1 v I In Fig. 4 I have shown a modification of theembodiment of my invention described in Fig. 3 in which repeatedengagements of thread defects with the loop ili are employed to charge alever 18 pivoted for rotation at the other end condenser 50, the iatterbeing automatically discharged whenthe charge stored up exceeds acertain predetermined/value. This discharge current isemployed-"tojcontrol the fiow of anode current in electronic device 5|to thereby eifectindication, andl if desired, recording, each time apredetermined number of engagements of thread .defects'withthe loop II!have occurred.

The electronic device 5| includes a transformer 5!,havlng secondarywindings 53,54, 55,'and a primary winding 56 energized directly from thealternating current supply lines L I and L. The secondary windings 53and 5! supply. current for heating the filaments of electronic tubesjiland 58, and the winding 54 supplies anode voltage to the tube 51. Thetube 51 is a full wave rectifier tube, the rectified voltage beingimpressed on the anode circuit of the triode 58. A condenser 59 and adivider resistor ill areemployed in the usual manner for smoothing outalternating current ripples in the rectified voltage. A point on thedivider resistor 60 at a suitably high potential is connected by aconductor 6| to the brush I! for imparting a charge to the thread, aportion of which charge is adapted to be transferred to the condenser 50by a conductor Bleach time defective thread filaments engage the loopl0.

The tube 581s a heater type tube and is comprised'i of theusual cathode63, anode 64, and grid {55, the latter being connected through aresistor 68 to the negativeterminal of divider resistor 60. Negativebias is providedfor the grid 65 by means of a resistor 61 connected inthe cathode circuit so that normally the tube is nonconductive. Agaseous discharge tube 68 isconnected by conductors B9 and Ill betweenthe grid 55 and the conductor 62. This tube 68 has a current-voltagecharacteristic such that up to a certain voltage across the tube nocurrent fiows, but when the'striking potential is reached, a dischargepasses and the voltage across the tube drops and becomes quite constantregardless of the current taken irom the-tube. When the chargeaccumulated. on the condenser 50, as a result of repeated engagements ofthread defects on the loop l0 exceeds a predetermined value, a dischargepasses between the elements in the tube as and through the resistor backto the f other plate of the condenser. The potentialdifferencemomentarily maintained across the resistor 66 by the dischargecurrent reduces the negative biason the grid 65 to thereby render thetube 58 conductive. The anode current conducted by the tube may beemployed in any suitable manner to aflord indication and, if desired, toeffect a recording operation each time that predetermined number ofengagements of thread defects with the loop Ill have occurred.

As shown in Fig. 4, a lamp H connected in the anode circuit of the tubeis provided for indicating whenever a predetermined number of fuzzprojections have passed the loop in. In-

disposed in inductive relation to the relay 13 so that when the latteris energized the armature will be rotated' counterclockwiselintoengagement with the relay. The armature .14 is connected by means of alink I1 toone end of a on, a shaft I9 and carrying a pawl intermediateits ends. This pawl 80 is adapted to cooperate with a ratchel wheel 8|also mounted for rotation on the shaft 19. A gear 82 integral with theratchet wheel 8| is adapted to cooperate with a gear 83 connected in anysuitable manner to a counter 84 so that rotation of the ratchet wheel8|, as a result of energizationof the relay [3, results in actuation ofthe counter to thereby record the total number of engagements of fuzzprojections with the loop l0. It is not to be construed, however, thatthe embodiment of the invention described in Fig. 4 is limited to therecording means shown, for any suitable recording means may be employed,as for example, described elsewhere herein.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, I haveillustrated and described the best form of my invention now known to me,it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain changes maybe made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing fromthe spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims, andthatcertain features of my invention may sometimes be used to advantagewithout a corresponding use of other features.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus toindicate a variable characteristic of an electricalnon-conducting body, means to place an electrical charge on the body, adevice normally out of physical contact with but disposed in cooperativerelation with the body and adapted to receive a charge therefrom 2. Inapparatus to indicate a variable char-.

acteristic of an electrically non-conducting body, a source of electricpotential, means connecting said source to impart an electrical chargeto said body, a device normally out of physical contact with butdisposed in cooperative relation with the body and adapted to receive achargetherefrom in accordance with variations in saidcharact'eristic,electronic valve means, current responsive means connected to said valvemeans to indicate-the said variations in said characteristic, and meansconnected to said device and responsive to the charge thereon to controlthe fiowof electric current through said valve.

3. The method of detecting defective filaments projecting from anelectrically non-conducting thread including the steps of applying anelecatrical charge to the thread, collecting the charge t'r'omthedefective filaments, and measuring said charge? 4. Apparatus-fordetecting defective filaments projecting from an"electrically,.nonconducting thread including means for imparting an electrical charge tothe thread, means normally out of contact with said thread and engagedby said defective filaments for collecting .said charge, and a deviceoperated by v the second mentioned means upon engagement therewith ofsaid filaments. e

5. In apparatus for detecting defective filaments projecting from anelectrical non-conducting thread, an electronic valve including ananode, a control electrode and a cathode, means for applying anelectrical charge to said thread, detecting means disposedin-cooperative relation with said thread, means for relatively movingsaid thread and detecting means for imparting at least a portion or allof said electrical charge to said detecting means under control of saiddefective filaments, means connected to said control electroderesponsive to the electrical charge collected by said detecting meansfor controlling the flow of electric current through said valve, andmeans responsive to said electric current for indicating whenever acharge is imparted to said detecting means.

6. In apparatus for ascertaining the number "of imperfections in athread due to defective filaments, a source of voltage, a condenser,detecting means disposed in cooperative relation with said thread, meansfor relatively moving said thread and detecting means, said detectingmeans including means to momentarily connect said source of voltage tosaid condenser under control of said filaments for imparting a charge tosaid condenser, periodically operated means for discharging saidcondenser, and means for measuring the discharge current.

7. In apparatus for ascertaining the number of imperfections in a threaddue to defective filaments, a condenser, an electronic valvecompriscontrolling the flow of electric current through said valve, andmeans responsive to said electric current for indicating each suchdischarge.

8. In apparatus for ascertaining the number of imperfections in a threaddue to defective filaments, a condenser, an electronic valve comprisingan anode, grid, and a cathode, a source of direct current voltage forsaid condenser and said valve, an electrical resistance, a gaseousdischarge tube connected in series with the resistance and both of thelatter shunting said condenser, the said gaseous discharge tube having acurrent-voltage characteristic such that up to a certain criticalvoltage applied thereon, it is nonconductive and at the critical voltagebecomes conductive, detecting means disposed in cooperative relationwith the thread, means for relatively moving said thread and. detectingmeans to cause engagement of defective filaments with said detectingmeans for connecting said direct current voltage to said condenser forimparting. an electrical charge on the latter, the said gaseous discharge tube being adapted to discharge said condenser through saidresistance when. a predetermined number of electrical charges have beenapplied to the condenser for producing a voltage drop across saidresistance to control the flow of anode current through said valve, andmeans disposed in the anode circuit of said valve for indicatingwhenever a predetermined number of engagements of defective filamentswith said d tecting means have occurred.

9. In apparatus to indicate a size variation of an electricalnon-conducting body, means to place an electrical charge on the body, adevice normally out of physical contact with but disposed in cooperativerelation with the body and adapted to receive a charge therefrom bycontact of said device and said body upon variation in size of saidbody, and electronic valve means connected to said device and responsiveto the charge thereon to indicate the variations in size of said body.

10; In apparatus for ascertaining the number of imperfections in athread due to defective filaments projecting from the thread, a sourceof voltage, a condenser, detecting means disposed in cooperativerelation with said thread, means for relatively moving said thread anddetecting means, said detecting means including means to impart anelectrical charg from said source of voltage to said thread and meansadapted to contact said projecting filaments to collect said charge andto impart a charge to said condenser, intermittently operated means fordischarging said condenser, and means for measuring the dischargecurrent.

11. In apparatus for ascertaining the number of imperfections in anelectricaly non-conducting thread due to defective filaments projectingfrom the thread, a source of voltage, a condenser, de tecting meansdisposed in cooperative relation with said thread, means for relativelymoving said thread and detecting means, said detecting means includingmeans to impart an electrical charge from said source of voltage to saidthread and means adapted to contact said projecting filaments to collectsaid charge and to impart a charge to said condenser, periodicallyoperated meansfor discharging said condenser, and means for measuringthe discharge current.

12. In apparatus for ascertaining the number of imperfections in athread due to defective filaments projecting from said thread, acondenser, an electronic valve comprising an anode and a cathode, asource of direct current voltage, detecting means disposed incooperative relation with said thread, means for relatively moving saidthread and detecting means, said detecting means including means toimpart an electrical charge from said source of voltage to said threadand means adapted to contact said projecting filaments to collect saidcharge and to impart a charge to said condenser, a gaseous dischargetube to discharge said condenser when a predetermined number of electriccharges hav been applied to said condenser, means responsive to eachsuch discharge.

13. In apparatus for ascertaining the number of imperfections in athread due to defective filaments, a condenser, an electronic valvecomprising an anode, grid, and a cathode, a source of direct currentvoltage, an electrical resistance, a gaseous discharge tube connected inseries with said resistance and both of the latter shunting saidcondenser, thesaid gaseous discharg tube 10 tacted said detecting means.

the said gaseous discharge tube being adapted to discharge saidcondenser through said resistance when a predetermined number ofelectrical charges have been applied to the condenser for producing avoltage drop across said resistance to control the flow of anode currentthrough said valve, and means disposed in the anode circuit of saidvalve for indicating whenever a predetermined number of defectivefilaments have con- EARL A. KEELER.

